Chapter 5
"You're really a lonely person, aren't you, professor?"
Byleth looked a bit curious at her student for asking such a question.
"Why do you say that?"
"Just an observation. You talk to yourself sometimes, don't you?"
"Not exactly, but yes."
Her black-haired student paused for a moment before pressing on. "When will you let me through the barrier you construct over yourself?"
The azure haired woman blinked. Then she looked down at her hands in contemplation.
"Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. I can't always be there for you, Chrollo. You'll learn to continue on without me."
"But I don't want to, professor. I want to make you mine." The black-haired student said with an unwavering tone.
"I'm a wanderer—a nomad. I don't belong to anyone or anywhere anymore. I don't think you can change that."
"But if I could, would you stay?" He asked.
Byleth looked into his deep onyx eyes.
"Maybe, maybe not. But it doesn't change the fact that you can't, Chrollo."
While she turned away, she didn't see the determination festering inside the boy—now a man—who she fostered and trained.
That was her biggest mistake yet.
.
"That is really strange. Do phones really come like this nowadays?" Byleth asked as Leorio pointed out a phone that looked like a beetle to Gon and Killua.
"It's a little heavy and pricey but includes a translator for 200 languages used worldwide and can work in most countries," Leorio said with confidence. "What phone did you use before?"
And Byleth took out a phone—which looked like a metal brick—seemingly out of nowhere.
"Is that a brick or a phone, Byleth-san?" Gon asked with sincerity. "Ah! Is it a weapon?" He asked curiously.
"It's been a while since I've upgraded my phone, but you can still use it, so I never bothered to change it."
"I've never seen anyone use that kind of old phone before… You should definitely get a new one. It probably doesn't have any functions that newer phones have. Who uses a brick-looking phone nowadays?!" Killua said with bafflement, but then turned his eyes to the phone Leorio pointed out. "But I think this Beetle phone is great! I'll get this one too!" Killua said without hesitation and Gon agreed with him.
"I don't really care about what design it has as long as it has the basic functions of a regular phone. I can do without the translator. I can speak most languages of the world anyways." Byleth said offhandedly as she held up one small phone curiously.
Leorio's eyes became a bit wide at the proclamation.
.
"A camera? I didn't know phones could do that!" Byleth said with a bit of surprise as she tinkered with her new gadget. "All I remember are the black and white photos you had to sit still for an hour for!"
"Seriously, woman! What era are you even from?!" Killua asked with disbelief.
Byleth ignored him and turned to Gon.
"Gon, do you mind if I take a picture with you?"
"Eh?" Gon said with a bit of surprise but his face quickly turned to happiness. "Of course, Byleth-san! Killua! Leorio! Could you take a picture for us? And after let's all take pictures together."
"Fiiiine," Killua drawled, his voice a bit annoyed but also a bit pleased at the prospect of taking pictures together with his friend. "But seriously, are you sure you're not a shota-con?"
.
Killua nursed the bump on his head with a painful, angry look.
Byleth remained impassive while looking at her phone screen.
However, if you peered inside Byleth's eyes, you would be able to tell that she was ecstatic at the photo of her and Gon side by side—Gon's face in a wide smile while her lips turned a bit upward into a small smile.
Gon, she thought with a soft smile, I wonder who you got this smile from because it's certainly not Ging's. Could my smile be like yours one day?
.
As Leorio, Gon, and Killua caught up with each other, Byleth went to a small hidden area to pick up her new phone and dial a number.
Bzzzt—
She didn't even have to wait for more than five seconds before the person on the other side of the line picked up.
'Hello?'
"Hi. It's me, Byleth."
'Sensei? I didn't recognize the number. Did you finally get a new phone? I think I've told you for ten years to upgrade it.'
Byleth chuckled a little. "I have. But did you have something for me?"
'Yes, it seems like the Nostrad Family sent the fortunes to their clients, and out of them, one was a bit concerning. It seems like it has to do with the underground auction happening today.'
"The Nostrad Family?" Byleth repeated with a bit of surprise. "Interesting…" she mused as she thought of her latest blonde student. "Could you send me the details to this phone now? But I don't know if I'll be able to see it right away as I don't quite understand the features of this gadget yet." She said with a bit of a disappointed tone.
The voice laughed across the phone speakers.
'Professor, you're really living in the past ages too much. Next time when we meet, I can help you figure it out if you still need my help.'
"Ah, I think I'm okay with that for now. I have two young students currently. Technically three. I'm sure they could help an old woman like me."
The voice whistled.
'Wow, two students? Or three, I guess? You said you will never take more than one student. What changed?' The voice asked.
She bit her lip.
"Too much."
.
After she ended the call, she looked at her contacts that she transferred from her old phone.
Ah, she thought offhandedly. I should probably call Kurapika now.
.
"If obtaining Greed Island is a low difficult rank, then obtaining a real treasure means that you cannot buy it with money. So if you cannot obtain a treasure like this easily, then you can't be a true pro Hunter." Killua said while wagging his finger and sucking on his lollipop.
"But we need to make money! Let's go and make as much money as we can!" Leorio exclaimed loudly.
"Ohhh! Yes!" Gon exclaimed aloud as well.
Byleth kept a soft grin on her face, happy to see the kids having fun. It was so carefree and lighthearted.
Just like the calm before the storm.
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"May I ask you a question?" Senritsu asked.
"What is it?" Kurapika responded without looking at his companion but rather focusing on the underground auction house.
"Scarlet eyes. What do they mean to you?"
The Kurta's heart pounded loudly and he stopped his breathing as something burned inside him.
"Why do you ask?" He said after a moment of silence, only barely concealing his emotions.
"When you saw the image on the data card, your heartbeat was even more fearsome. It became a melody of boundless fury."
After considering her words, Kurapika closed his eyes. "I suppose that I can't lie. I am a Kurta. Our eyes are normally brown, but they're red when we're excited. So I wear black contacts to avoid being discovered. I am searching for the eyes taken from my brethren and I will do whatever it takes to return their eyes to them." His voice was impassive but at the same time deep and emotional, filled with anger and coldness. "Will you report this to Dalzollene?"
"I will not. I do not wish to be killed." The Music Hunter replied.
"Could you read my intention?" The blonde asked with a bit of amusement.
"A heartbeat is always honest."
"And you? Why did you choose to work for Nostrad?" The Kurta questioned back to his companion.
"I could lie to you."
Kurapika looked at Senritsu from the corner of his eye.
"I would be able to tell if you're lying by your eyes."
Senritsu's eyes met his and she turned her body to look toward the underground auction house like her companion. "I'm looking for the Dark Sonata. Working underground is the best method to do so."
Kurapika's eyes peered into hers, searching for any indications for lying. Then he closed his eyes in contemplation. "You're saying the truth, but not the complete truth."
"The Dark Sonata is something that needs to be destroyed at all costs."
And Melody showed off her arm to Kurapika, making his eyes widen slightly.
"This is due to hearing just one movement of the Sonata. It needs to be destroyed."
"A piece that brings only suffering and destruction to the listeners. What a despicable way to tarnish music," a new female voice pipped up.
Senritsu gasped, completely shocked that she was unable to hear this intruder. This intruder had no audible footsteps nor a heartbeat.
"Sorry, I didn't really mean to overhear, but I felt that it would be rude to just interfere in your conversations earlier."
"Byleth-sensei," Kurapika looked a bit surprised as well. "You've told me that you would meet me later, but I didn't know that you would appear now. Did you just leave Gon and Killua to see me here? I'm currently on my job."
"Yes, I understand, Kurapika. However, I got a tip from a friend that something drastic may happen today. That is why your boss has ordered you to take watch outside the underground auction site, no?"
Kurapika nodded his head, confirming Byleth's question.
"You're the woman that didn't make a sound—the woman without a heartbeat!" Senritsu said with wide eyes and a frightened voice. "How is it possible for a human to not have a heartbeat?"
"Ah, but I'm not exactly quite human, you see," Byleth replied, her face impassive once again.
Kurapika's eyes also went wide at his teacher's claim. He knew that she was not quite a normal human, but he passed it off as something to do with her Nen. She wasn't very forthcoming about her past and Kurapika didn't want to press her if she didn't want to talk about it.
"But even if you're not human… living beings have a heartbeat." Kurapika stated, furrowing his brows.
"I believe that I haven't truly been living for a long time, Kurapika."
Senritsu and Kurapika opened their mouths to ask more questions.
"Wait. It's time," Byleth said as she cut them off before they could ask something else. "We can talk more after this."
.